Race of extravagance in Dubai

IT'S known as the sport of kings and leaning against the railing at Dubai's Meydan Racecourse watching the richest horse race on Earth, it's hard to argue with that.

The Dubai World Cup was founded by horse lover Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum 16 years ago.

The new $3 billion Meydan racecourse complex has a 1.6km-long grandstand and adjoining 5-star hotel.

It's pure extravagance, and standing among the 80,000-strong crowd a mishmash of Westerners in floral frocks and fascinators and Emiratees in traditional dishdasha there's a buzz not unlike Flemington on Cup day.

"Where can I go to place a bet on the main race," I ask a fellow guest in the Emirates marquee. I've been searching in-between mouthfuls of caviar-laden pikelet for a betting outlet as I have a few dirhams to burn.

"You'll be looking for a while," he tells me. "You can't bet in Dubai; it's illegal."

Cheering for the $US10 million ($A9.6 million) group one race, it seems, is out of pure enjoyment. Considering a lot of us tend to cheer only when the horse we've backed is leading in the home stretch, this concept is foreign.

Our marquee is one of 72 hospitality areas in the grandstand.

There's a Swiss Lindt chocolatier fashioning miniature masterpieces at one station, while champagne is flowing.

To our left hundreds of Westerners in dresses and stylish suits are in full party mode, and the vibe is akin to that at a major music festival, with drinking, cheering and dancing as they wait for the night's performer Jessie J.

Directly in front, a group of mostly Emiratees calmly watch the action from an alcohol-free area, offering the occasional glance at their less subdued neighbours who are getting more rowdy with each race.

Guests staying at The Meydan, the development's 5-star hotel, can enjoy the action from their balconies or the hotel's rooftop infinity pool.

It's not the ideal hotel for those wanting to immerse themselves in the city, but the atmosphere in the lobby in the days leading up to the Dubai World Cup is contagious.